Whistler, BC July 21, 2011 – The Jeep Air Downhill took over the Whistler Mountain Bike Park with over 344 competitors ripping down the most famous DH course in the world, A-Line. Brian Lopes was dethroned from his reign as king with South Africa’s Andrew Neethling taking over top spot ending Lopes’ streak of five wins in a row, scoring the fastest time of the day at 4:13.34.

The Air DH course runs the entire length of A-Line, finishing at the base of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park with the legendary GLC Drop. A-Line is arguably the most celebrated DH course in mountain biking, with nearly 50 jumps on the course. A-Line is the benchmark all DH courses strive to emulate. “Although the cold weather wasn’t ideal for the fans, the course couldn’t have been in better condition.” said Tristan Merrick, event announcer. “The course conditions were pretty tacky. A lot of the riders felt like their bikes were on rails.”

“I had a really clean awesome run,” said Andrew Neethling, winner of the pro men category. “Compliments to Lopes, I just put together a great run.”

Andrew Neethling (RSA), claimed first with a time of 4:13.34; Brian Lopes (USA) took second place with a time of 4:14.28; Mick Hannah (AUS), took third place with a time of 4:17.22.

In the Pro Women category, Anne Caroline Chausson (FRA), claimed first with a time of 4:33.16; Jill Kintner (USA) took second place with a time of 4:40.98; Sarah Leishman (CAN) took third place with a time of 4:42.48.

Tomorrow is a huge day at Kokanee Crankworx with the Red Bull Joyride Qualifiers followed by the Teva Best Trick Showdown and live webcast powered by Freecaster.tv starting at 4-6:30pm. Then the action will move up the mountain to the Ultimate Pump Track Challenge presented by Rock Shox. This exciting event will be webcast from 7:30pm to 10pm.

The village-wide expo and demo zone will be hopping and make sure to check out the “Jeep® Rocks and Roads course in Lot 2 where visitors will be able to experience the vehicle’s unparalleled capabilities while manipulating obstacles that demonstrate the wild ride that only Jeep® can deliver. The course and on-road test drive includes a stability ramp, a boulder crawl, a log pile and a 16 foot dirt mountain to demonstrate traction. The test drive area will run until July 24 from 10am to 6pm.

About Jeep Brand
Built on 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV brand with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. The Jeep vehicle line-up consists of the Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited. To meet consumer demand around the world, all six Jeep models are sold outside North America – and are all available in right-hand drive versions with gasoline and diesel
powertrain options.

About Kokanee Crankworx
The eighth annual Kokanee Crankworx is presented by Whistler Blackcomb and the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Kokanee Crankworx is the biggest annual event held in Whistler and is also the largest freeride mountain bike festival in the world. Each year the best amateur and professional freeride, downhill and slopestyle mountain bike athletes gather for a ten-day, non-stop barrage of competition and celebration. Whistler has the world’s most diverse offering of mountain biking terrain, including 150 miles of single-track trails, 5,000 vertical feet of lift-accessed downhill runs in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, jump parks and 20+ miles of paved Valley Trail.

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